Flora of North America species comparison

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Diospyros virginiana

common persimmon, eastern persimmon, possumwood
Habit Trees, to 15–30(–40) m. Bark dark reddish brown, deeply furrowed and irregularly blocky, not flaking.
Leaves

deciduous;

petiole 0.7–1 cm;

blade dark green and glossy adaxially, broadly ovate to elliptic, (5–)6–15 × 2.5–8 cm, thin, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glabrous (or sparsely pubescent, especially when young), without basilaminar glands.
Inflorescences

solitary flowers or 2–3-flowered cymes, borne on twigs of current season.
Flowers

1–2 cm;

sepals 4;

petals 4;

stamens 16;

anthers dehiscent along their entire length; pistillate flowers usually with 8 staminodes;

styles 4, connate basally;

ovary glabrous (except at apex).
Berries

yellow to orange or dark red (rarely purple), often glaucous, depressed-globose, globose, oblong, ovoid, or conic, (2–)3–5(–7.5) cm diam., glabrous (except at apex).
Seeds

reddish brown, ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 cm.
2n

= 60, 90.

Diospyros virginiana
Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun; fruiting Aug–Dec.
Habitat Forests, seasonally flooded bottomlands, dry ridgetops, abandoned agricultural land
Elevation 0-1100 m (0-3600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TX; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The extensive morphological variation in Diospyros virginiana, coupled with variable chromosomal races, merits further taxonomic study. Pubescent leaves and purple fruits, most common in the Ozark region, suggest past hybridization with D. texana. These and other distinctive traits may characterize whole clonal groves through root-suckering. The fruits were an important food for wildlife, native peoples, and Euro-American colonists, but have never been effectively commercialized, despite selection of superior clones over the years. Wild persimmons are extremely astringent until thoroughly ripe. The tough, hard wood has been used for shuttles and heads of golf clubs.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 250.
Parent taxa Ebenaceae > Diospyros
Sibling taxa
D. ebenum, D. maritima, D. texana
Synonyms D. mosieri, D. virginiana var. mosieri, D. virginiana var. platycarpa, D. virginiana var. pubescens
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1057. 1753 ,
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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